Manufacturing Day 2014

For the past three years, the annual observance of Manufacturing Day has been a time for manufacturers from across the United States to come together as a group in a concerted effort to take charge of the nation’s perception of the industry and to demonstrate the different ways domestic manufacturing benefits local, national and global economies.

This year, these voices will be heard on Friday, October 3.

There is currently a significant labor shortage in the U.S. manufacturing sector and, while there is a strong economic drive to reshore manufacturing operations, domestic companies face a real hurdle when it comes to maintaining a sustainable workforce. Not only does Manufacturing Day provide companies with an opportunity to shape the industry’s image, it also gives them a chance to reach out to the younger generation, with many companies inviting local students to tour their facilities and learn more about the industry.

One example of a local company that had this figured out well over a decade ago is Lampin Corporation, a precision machining company in Uxbridge, MA. This year, Lampin will be recognizing Manufacturing Day in a manner consistent with it’s intended purpose of spreading the message about, and generating interest in, the manufacturing industry. They will be hosting at least 40 students from local high schools who, during their tour of the factory and after hearing from several of Lampin’s employee-owners, will gain valuable insight about the manufacturing industry that would be difficult (if not impossible) to accomplish in a traditional classroom.

The benefits of working in such a creative industry are many, and the annual observance of Manufacturing Day serves as a reminder that the sector is in the unique position of being able to turn ethereal concepts into finished products ready for market, and driving the economy forward in the process.

Here Come the Robots

A new type of worker is being introduced in factories across the United States: small collaborative robots. These machines can increase a factory’s production output while simultaneously lowering production costs. Less costly than more bulky and complex machines, collaborative robots are most often being employed by small factories and are fundamentally changing the way these companies operate.

Robots are certainly not new to the manufacturing industry, but, due to safety concerns, most have had to be kept separate from human employees. The term “collaborative” robot is used because these machines are now able to work safely directly alongside their human counterparts.

An example of an early player succeeding in this emerging market is Lampin Corporation, a precision machining and critical component manufacturing company located in Uxbridge, MA. Among other components, Lampin machines precision parts for the HV-100 (The “Harvey”) built by Harvest Automation, a material handling company headquartered in North Billerica, MA.  Lampin manufactures the gearboxes that enable The Harvey’s arms to move, a critically important component for a robot that is designed to lift and move flower pots.

Lampin’s President Bill DiBenedetto said “In addition to our right angle gear drives, our company produces shafts, pulleys, gears, bushings, housings and other components used in robotic manufacturing; and our employee-owners are excited to participate in this new and growing market.”

While some may be concerned about robots reducing the number of available jobs, in cases like that of Lampin Corporation, these robots are clearly creating a job market.

 

No Room for an Education?

A recent study by Northeastern University Law School yielded an unexpected tidbit of information; many vocational and technical high schools in Massachusetts have a significant waiting list for admissions. What was once a path chosen primarily by those unable or unwilling to go to college, gaining admission to a vocational/technical school has now become a highly competitive contest among thousands of local young people. Unfortunately, most of these schools do not have the capacity to admit all who apply, and many otherwise qualified students are being left behind.

What does this mean for the future of manufacturing-related industries here in Massachusetts? Is it a sign of a rebounding industrial sector or simply an indicator of a bad economy where the less well-off are left with few options for a post-secondary education? Or, is it a basic redefinition of a vocational/technical education that appeals more to a broader spectrum of students?

When asked why he thought vocational and technical schools have such long waiting lists, Peter Enrich, a law professor at Northeastern who oversaw this survey said, “The reasons are complex. A lot of them come back to money. The funding of vocational schools is largely the responsibility of the state. They use a formula that has a couple of big problems with it. [The] first problem is, in our view, it underestimates the cost of vocational education, and so the schools are short of money to start with. The second problem is, to determine how much money a school gets, they look at its enrollment in the previous year. So, if you had a waiting list last year, you’re going to get funded based on how many students you had in the school. [It] pays no attention to your waiting lists, so you’re going to have exactly the same problem year after year after year — there’s no allowance for growth in the funding formula.”

While the overall size of the manufacturing sector here in the Commonwealth declined significantly over the past several decades, the industry is currently undergoing a resurgence and, while numbers may never again reach those of the heyday of the past, there is certainly no shortage of successful manufacturing companies now doing business in Massachusetts. Most that made it through (or opened their business after) the “dark times” maintain their competitive edge by staying agile enough to quickly adapt to changing market demands.  Others survived simply by doing what they have always done – providing their stable client base with a list of standard products that are unlikely to be replaced by a better alternative anytime soon. In either case, many companies have successfully leveraged growth opportunity here in Massachusetts, and a qualified pool of local labor is a critical component in the success or failure of that effort.

Solutions may be more complicated than just opening more vocational schools. With the loss of so many skilled positions in the past, societal stigmas have caused apathy among baby boomers and the following generations. However, most Massachusetts’ manufacturing jobs today are high-paying, highly technical positions and, with 100,000 of these opportunities estimated to become available in the state over the next ten years, training the next generation of students will become even more critical to compete in the global economy.

It is imperative that state politicians team up with vocational school administrators and local industry leaders to find a solution to the growing skilled worker shortage before it’s too late.

3D Printing – Not for the Masses?

Somerville, MA-based Formlabs, a relatively new company on the scene of 3D printing, stands poised and ready to revolutionize the market. The driving force behind the company’s advancement, Colin Raney, has some ideas about how the technology will change industry in the future, and not all of them are mainstream.

The major advancement made by Formlabs is the creation of a relatively inexpensive and small 3D printer that costs only $3,300 and is of desktop size. This is a sharp departure from the refrigerator-sized earlier models that cost $10,000 or more. Raney said that this will make the advantages of 3D printing far more accessible. He tempered that, however, with a judgment that 3D printing is likely to remain primarily in the professional field. Raney’s reasoning behind this was simple. While 3D printing technology is getting less expensive, it is not yet cheap enough to justify common household use. It would be far more expensive to buy a 3D printer and the resin materials needed to create basic household items than it would be to simply buy those items. Raney suggested that household 3D printing is still a long ways off despite his recent advancements. This view is in contrast to other’s views on the topic and also to much of the hype surrounding 3D printing.

On the other hand, the advantages to the professionals of the more portable and less-expensive 3D printers are great. Raney believes his work will allow professional designers and engineers the ability to work better and faster. It will also be of benefit to smaller design businesses that previously had great ideas and potential but were unwilling to deal with the bulkier and far more expensive earlier models.

3D printing technology allows the creation of structures that would be impossible using any other currently available technology. Raney promises that his technology will allow designers to create incredibly intricate parts without much need for post-processing work. A key advantage to Formlab’s design is the incredible level of detail the device can render, the creation of a 50-foot chain inside a five-inch box being just one example.

While Raney clearly believes his company’s product will bring 3D printing technology to a wider user-base, he also believes the broad-scale commercial potential of such creations will be what revolutionizes the industry and its underlying technology.

President Obama to Speak at High School Graduation

In an effort to draw attention to an educational success story as well as highlight the need for continuing development of a manufacturing and technical workforce, President Barack Obama will be speaking to this year’s Worcester Technical High School graduating class this afternoon.

“The school’s combination of rigorous academics and hands-on learning opportunities characterizes the President’s vision for an education that works for America’s students,” according to a White House official who was speaking on the condition of anonymity in advance of the president’s speech. “He will reiterate his commitment to reforming America’s education system, as well as his challenge to redesign America’s high schools and connect our nation’s learners to high-speed broadband.”

Bill DiBenedetto, President of Uxbridge, MA-based Lampin Corporation commented, “Lampin has been an active supporter of STEM education for quite some time now, and we’re excited to learn that the White House is now promoting technical education in this manner.” He added, “The future of manufacturing and technical operations in this country is the next generation of young people in our schools today. If they are not given a solid educational foundation along with an awareness of the career opportunities in the manufacturing industry, this vital domestic economic sector will ultimately die out as it is exported to other countries.”

Worcester Tech is led by Dr. Sheila Harrity, a National High School Principal of the Year who was recognized last month at the White House. When she took over in 2006, the school was one of the lowest performing schools in the state. However, the school is now ranked among the best in Massachusetts in terms of testing scores. In fact, during her time at Worcester Tech, Harrity has seen the graduation rate grow by 17 percentage points (from 79.3% in 2006 to 96.4% in 2012) and the dropout rate fall from 6.5% in 2006 to 1.5% in 2012.

It’s no wonder that the President of the United States feels that Worcester Technical High School is a great venue at which to speak about the future of education in this country!

A Snapshot of Mass. Manufacturing Translates Across State

By Bill DiBenedetto, President, Lampin Corporation

In October the Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corporation released a study on advanced manufacturing in the Berkshire region of the Commonwealth. Although Lampin is located in nearby Blackstone Valley, the birthplace of the industrial revolution, the environment of the Berkshires is similar to our own conditions in southeastern Massachusetts.

In an article by iBerkshires reporter Andy McKeever, the reporter writes that while the quantity of manufacturing employees have declined in the last 10 years, manufacturing companies and their employee wages remained “fairly consistent.” He concludes, “That paints a picture of manufacturing getting smaller and smarter with mass production being replaced by precision.”

As a small precision manufacturer, we believe in our business model to deliver quality manufacturing solutions to our clients. We’ve watched our customers weather the financial storms, some with success, some no longer in business. Throughout the good times and bad, we’ve been proud to remain a constant source for precision manufacturing.

The recommendations from the PERC Study reads like a history of Lampin. We invest in training our employees, partner with local schools to develop the next generation of precision machinists and unique to Lampin, converted to employee-ownership in the early 2000s to increase employee satisfaction and reward.

At Lampin, we see a strong manufacturing sector as critical to growth in Massachusetts after the tough economic times of the past few years. Our neighbors in the Berkshires are tapping in the brain trust and experiences of their educational, business and government leaders to chart a course. We agree that factors such as energy costs and infrastructure are best addressed from a 10,000-foot view. However, we believe if manufacturing is going to have resurgence in the Massachusetts, we, and our fellow manufacturing firms, need to continue to take action individually.

Coghlin Companies Manufacturers Explosive Detector

Implant Sciences Corporation contracted Coghlin Companies to manufacture a handheld explosive detector. The Quantum Sniffer QS-H150 was used at Queen Elizabeth II birthday party in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this June. Coghlin Companies was chosen because of their ability to scale production and test highly sensitive products. The product needed had tight specifications that Coghlin was able to meet.

Implant sciences is known for their explosive trace detection (ETD) and drugs trace detection solutions. Coghlin Companies is best known for contract manufacturing and  medical device manufacturing.

View the press release here.

New Balance Expands Footprint in Brighton

New Balance has started construction to place a new headquarters in Brighton, MA. Adding to the widespread sport and health district along the Massachusetts Turnpike, the $500 million project will be called the Boston Landing.

Previously the land was to be used for a Lowe’s home improvement store but due to resident opposition the space eventually ended up in the hands of New Balance. Construction has already begun on the six story headquarters designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects. The project is expected to take up to two years to complete.

Speaking about economic development, New Balances’ chaiman Jim S. Davis said, “Washington could take a cue from what’s been accomplished here in Boston.”

To go along with the fitness theme of the area and the company there will be a sports complex including state of the art training facilities for baseball, track and hockey.

“This is going to be a transformative project for the entire region,” said State Representative Michael Moran, “The jobs and economic development here will spur growth in other industries as well.”

 

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Creating Jobs in August

While August created a lower number of jobs than July, an addition of 176,000 is still a step in the right direction. According to payroll processor ADP, which measures employment using payroll data, jobs have been created largely in the goods producing and manufacturing industries. Yahoo Finance had predicted that 210,000 jobs would be produced in August.

The largest industries of growth for job creation were, service providing industries, with 165,000 jobs created. Professional and business services with 50,000. Trade, transportation and utilities added 40,000 jobs.

ADP states that the job increase is consistent with the growth in jobs over the past 12 months. The government has noticed the increase in jobs, saying that initial jobless claims dropped by 9,000. Creating jobs in the past couple years has been fairly stagnant in Massachusetts, these encouraging numbers will hopefully turn that trend around.

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Massachusetts Firms Look to WIN-911 to Raise the Alarm

Austin, Texas is pretty far away from the rolling hills and rocky shores of Massachusetts, but a Texas firm is supplying some of the top Massachusetts companies with a software product that protects their assets and, in some cases, even saves lives.

Companies such as Raytheon, EMC, Boston Scientific, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Biogen all have industrial processes that control and monitor their facilities. If part of the system malfunctions, it’s imperative to know right away. Those firms look to WIN-911, formerly Specter Instruments, the world’s most widely-used alarm notification software for the process control industry to recognize issues and raise an alert.

Working in unison with a company’s SCADA system and able to push notifications through a variety of devices and network environment (smartphone push notifications, web browser, analog or VOIP phone calls, SMS messages, email, in-plant announcement system, and other devices), WIN-911 recognizes an alarming condition and notifies the appropriate party. WIN-911’s built-in logic engine also decides how the notification escalates should the alarm continue to be a problem.

As a company with global clients, WIN-911 has plenty of options for service providers. Yet WIN-911 looked back to Massachusetts to keep its business at the leading edge of the online world. With a website newly designed by Worcester-based firm Applied Interactive, LLC, WIN-911 is set to launch a new version of it’s alarm notification software to the world, via touchpoints in Massachusetts.